Proposals
by LadyGrey
Summary: Sirius has never liked engagements, but on this day he may finally change his mind.


**A/N-** Fluff, lots of silly fluff! Rated PG-13 for innuendo. I was in the mood for something sweet and sappy, and this is what emerged. Short and cute. Please, do review, feedback makes me smile. [Oh, and there's slash, so don't say I didn't warn you!]

"Hey, look at this, guys!" Hermione said eagerly.

Harry and Ron looked up from their sandwiches at their friend, whose nose was buried in _The Daily Prophet_. They were spending a Saturday with Remus and Sirius, who had leased a spacious three-bedroom apartment in Hogsmeade following Sirius' pardon from the Ministry. Remus continued to wash the breakfast dishes, and Sirius took another bite out of his ham and cheese.

"What is it?" Ron mumbled with his mouth full, which earned him a dirty look from the curly-haired witch.

"It says here," Hermione announced once she finished her non-verbal scolding, "that Oliver Wood is getting married."

"What?" both boys exclaimed, mouths dropping open in surprise.

"Ew, guys, swallow before you do that," Hermione chided with a grimace.

Harry and Ron swallowed obediently. Ron, nearest to Hermione, snatched the paper out of her grasp and scanned the page.

"Read it out loud," Harry urged him.

**United's Keeper Catches Wife**

Oliver Wood, new keeper for Manchester United, has recently announced his engagement to Carina Tarrin, his longtime girlfriend and head of Witches for Rights of Magical Creatures, the WRMC. The two have been dating publicly for over a year now and only yesterday announced their intentions at a press conference.

"Good for them," inserted Harry. "They've been talking about it for a while, or so the rumors said."

"Oliver was terribly nice, from what I knew of him in class," Remus added as he put the last dish away and joined them at the table. "That's wonderful news for him."

"Shush," Hermione scolded, "There's more."

Ron continued:

_An inside source reports that Wood proposed to Tarrin while they were walking around the Quidditch pitch after Saturday's recent surprise win. Upon her acceptance, Wood conjured a bouquet of white Wizard's Dew and presented her with a Moonstone and Caloria engagement ring._

"That is so _sweet_," Hermione said with a dreamy look on her face.

Sirius rolled his eyes, and Remus shot him a dirty look.

"What?" Harry asked, noticing Sirius' stormy expression.

"Ignore him, he hates sappy engagements," Remus excused him. "Do continue, Ron."

_Tarrin expressed that she is "incredibly lucky to have found such a wonderful, sweet, caring wizard," and said that they set June 18 as the tentative date for the wedding._

_Before leaving the press conference, Wood commented with a large smile: "I'm just overjoyed that she said yes."_

Sirius snorted, and now all looked up at him.

"He hates engagements," Remus repeated.

"I do not," he snapped.

"Oh, you do too, now stop ruining everyone's well wishes."

"I am not ruining anyone's well wishes," Sirius protested, still sulking.

"How come you hate engagements so much?" Ron piped in, wincing slightly when Hermione kicked him for his rude question.

Sirius settled back in his chair, abandoning his sandwich on his plate. "I don't hate them," he explained, slightly more patient now. "I don't," he said to Remus' disbelieving expression. "They just remind me of the past."

"Oh," Hermione said. "You mean when Harry's parents were engaged…?"

Sirius shook his head. "No, not really. Just this time I proposed to someone and was rather thoroughly rejected."

"What?" It was Harry's turn to look incredulous at Sirius' casual avowal. "Wait, when was this?"

Sirius shrugged. "Post-graduation."

"…and…?" Harry prompted.

"Aaaaand…that was it. I went to Azkaban less than a year later, so it was probably all for the best."

"Who was it?" Hermione burst out, curiosity getting the better of her manners.

Sirius smiled a little. "I don't kiss and tell," he protested.

"Oh come _on_," Harry wheedled. "That was forever ago! Surely you can tell us now!"

Sirius shook his head again. "Nope, nothing doing."

"Why did she say no?" asked Ron.

The corner of Sirius' lip twitched up a little. "Erm, well, we were too young was the argument, which was probably true."

Hermione suddenly turned to Remus, who had remained quiet throughout the inquiry. "You must know; who was it?"

Remus shook his head. "If Sirius doesn't want to say, I'm not telling."

The threesome looked terribly disappointed.

"I was devastated, of course," Sirius went on by way of consolation. "Spent three days in bed absolutely miserable. I was so lovesick…" he smiled at the memory. "But since then we've reconciled the entire thing and I'm not upset anymore."

"Wait," Harry interjected. "You mean you've been reconciled _recently_?"

Sirius nodded mysteriously.

"Who _is_ it?" Ron and Hermione chorused, and the older men chuckled at their insistent nosiness.

"So you're friends again, right?" Hermione tried a different tack. Sirius nodded. "More than friends?"

"Er, um, well, yes…" Sirius stuttered, flushing a little.

"And you haven't told me who she is?" Harry asked, surprised and a little hurt.

"Harry," Sirius said gently. "It really isn't appropriate for you to know right now, trust me."

"Um, okay," Harry agreed uncertainly.

"I'll tell you…sometime," he promised.

"Okay, " Harry repeated, still a bit confused.

"So," Ron steered the conversation back to task, "Are you going to ask her again?"

Sirius laughed. "I don't think I could take rejection again," he averred. "Besides, maybe we're just not the marrying types."

"Oh, I don't know," Remus said, startling everyone by joining the conversation voluntarily. "There's something to be said for trying again."

"Oh?" Sirius looked startled. "You think I ought to?"

"Well, I don't want to pressure you into doing something you don't want," Remus continued, "but knowing the people involved, I would say that it wouldn't be the worst idea you've ever had."

"Remus," Sirius said dryly, "I've had some truly awful ideas, so just tell me whether you think it's a good idea or not."

"My opinion is that it's a very good idea," Remus said softly.

"Oh. Huh." Sirius looked stupefied.

A dawning light of realization was growing in Hermione's eyes. Could it…hmmm. Well that _would_ make sense. She mentally cast about for an excuse. "Uh, darn it! Look, we only have half an hour until the bookstore closes! Quick, let's just run down there now!" she suggested urgently.

Ron waved the proposal away with a casual hand. "Go on Hermione, neither of us need anything."

"But," she protested, "I, er…" Inwardly she sighed, then braced herself. "I want to get a book or two about Quidditch, you know, to figure out what you find so appealing about it, and I need your help to choose!"

"Really?" Ron brightened.

"You want to read about Quidditch?" Harry suddenly reanimated.

Hermione nodded as enthusiastically as she could manage, and within minutes she found herself being swept out the door by her eagerly chattering friends.

Sirius and Remus were left alone in the flat.

"Let's retire to the living room?" Remus suggested with a tilt of his head. Wordlessly Sirius padded into the other room and flopped gracefully onto the couch. Remus followed him and claimed a comfy armchair.

"Are you angry with me?" Remus asked quietly.

"About what?"

"About just now. Or any of it, really."

Sirius shook his head, long black locks tumbling over his shoulders. "I was telling the truth, I'm not upset about what happened fifteen years ago."

"And what about what happened a few minutes ago?"

Sirius frowned. "I don't like being teased."

"Sirius!" Remus exclaimed. "I wasn't teasing!"

Sirius looked up, ill-concealed emotion fluttering on his face. "You…weren't?"

Remus shook his head.

"You were serious?"

"I would never tease about something like that, love."

Sirius relaxed a little at the endearment. "So what did you _mean_, exactly?"

Remus smiled a little shyly, then pounced from the chair to the couch, kneeling next to the half-reclined lanky figure. Remus' eyes were open and honest, and his hands were folded neatly and chastely in his lap. "What I meant," he whispered, "was that I want to marry you. I want you to marry me. Whatever. I want us to get married."

Sirius eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Really," Remus nodded.

Sirius nibbled his bottom lip. "As much as I hate to do this, I'm going to have to say no."

"No?" Remus looked more surprised than disappointed.

"No," Sirius affirmed. "First of all, you didn't do it at all properly; I was definitely down on one knee holding your hand when I gave it a go."

Remus sniffed indignantly. "I don't have your style," he claimed, "I'm quite sure I couldn't pull it off."

"Second," Sirius continued, ignoring the protest, "I owe you a rejection."

Remus rolled his eyes. "Sirius, that's hardly a good reason."

"It's an excellent reason," Sirius answered. "And finally, and this is the most important reason, Remus…"

Sirius slid off the couch and down onto one knee. "…I wanted to ask you." He reached out and captured one of Remus' hands. "Remus, love, will you marry me?"

His lover of almost two decades practically glowed. "Yes," he said, "Yes yes yes yes yes," as he melted off the couch to join Sirius on the floor. Combing his fingers through long, black hair the lycanthrope ended Sirius' grin with a kiss.

"Mmm," Sirius murmured. "I'm so glad that I finally got an acceptable answer, even if it is fifteen years late."

Remus chuckled. "It's the right answer now, but it was the wrong answer then." He stole another kiss. "Still, I'm glad I got to accept such a," kiss, "tempting offer."

"Hmm," kiss, "I have another," kiss, "tempting offer…" kiss.

"Mmm," kiss, "as much as I," nibble, "would _love_," bite, "to take you up on that," lick, "I think," kiss, "the kids will be home soon."

Sirius broke away with a groan. "Gods, what will we tell them?"

Remus, still settled in his lover's lap, leaned back against the couch with a smirk. "I told you that you should have come out to Harry before this."

"Yes, well that doesn't do me much good _now_, does it?" Sirius grumbled.

"No, it doesn't," Remus acknowledged. "Well Hermione knows, at least."

Sirius arched an eyebrow. "Can't get much past her, can we? Well, we'll have to thank her at some point for tactfully hauling Harry and Ron out of the flat."

Remus laughed. "I think we'll be owing her quite a bit; she's not a Quidditch fan and is probably suffering quite a bit on our behalves right now."

Sirius pulled his amber-eyed lover in for another kiss. "I guess," he said finally, "that we'll just have to tell them then."

"And pray for their understanding?" Remus asked as he launched an oral attack on Sirius' neck.

"Mmm…mmhmmmmm…" Sirius' answer was almost completely incoherent.

"Hullo?" Hermione's voice trickled through the apartment.

Remus ruefully extricated himself from Sirius and stood up. "We're in the living room," he called back. He looked down at Sirius and raised an eyebrow. "Planning on getting up?"

The raven-haired man stretched out on the floor. "Nope, I'm rather comfortable as is, thanks."

Remus rolled his eyes and headed for the kitchen. "I'm going to put away the lunch stuff. Want any tea?"

"No thanks," Sirius replied, already getting settled.

"Tea anyone?" Remus asked as he ran into two excited boys and a weary-looking Hermione.

"No thanks," Ron and Harry chorused, while Hermione answered with a grateful, "Yes, please."

Remus could hear the conversation clearly in the other room as he set the dishes carelessly in the sink and started the tea.

"Uh, Sirius, why are you on the floor?" That was Harry.

"Never underestimate the comfort of a good carpet, Harry." Remus rolled his eyes. He had heard that opinion voiced in a very different set of circumstances.

"Um, okay, but I'm going for the couch."

Conversation continued along the neutral lines of Quidditch literature, which Hermione joined half-heartedly only when dragged into it. Finally the tea had sufficiently steeped, and Remus poured a cup for Hermione and one for himself.

Returning to the living room he found Sirius still on the floor with Harry relaxed on the couch above him. Hermione occupied Remus' former chair and Ron had claimed its mate on the other side of the couch. Handing Hermione her tea, Remus sat carefully on the other end of the sofa.

"So how was the bookstore?" he asked lightly.

Hermione cut off the threatening onslaught of Quidditch discussion with a "very nice, thank you."

Silence descended as the werewolf and the witch sipped their tea.

"Right," Sirius said suddenly, sitting up to lean against the couch, legs bent and bare toes buried in the thick carpet. "Erm, so I haven't been entirely straightforward with you, especially you, Harry."

"Oh?" Harry said, prompting him to continue.

Sirius played nervously with his ring finger. "Yes, well, you see, earlier, when we were talking about proposals and all," he took a deep breath, "I probably ought to have told you that it wasn't a girl I asked to marry me, it was, well, a guy."

Harry and Ron were the only ones who looked surprised. "Um, okay," Harry said, just to say something.

"So, you're gay?" Ron asked, tactless as ever.

"Yes," Sirius confirmed. He twisted around to look at Harry. "Are you…okay with that?"

Harry shrugged. "Why wouldn't I be? I'm surprised, that's all."

"Oh good," Sirius seemed relieved. "Well, that's not…exactly…all…"

Everyone waited expectantly.

"I, um, oh hell, Remus, help?"

Remus chided him with a look. "What happened to that Gryffindor courage, Sirius? It's for you to say, not me."

"Right, sure. Harry, the point is…" He pushed himself up on the couch between Harry and Remus, who made room for him. "The point," he continued, "is that, well, the man I proposed to fifteen years ago was Remus."

Harry looked even more surprised, and Ron looked like he was concentrating on a particularly difficult word problem. Hermione looked smug and vaguely self-satisfied.

"And," Sirius continued hastily, "we're back together now and this afternoon I asked him to marry me and he said yes. So." He paused. "Yes, that's about it, I think. Thoughts, questions, comments?"

Hermione beamed. "Congratulations, that's wonderful."

"Thank you," Remus spoke for the first time, blushing a little.

Ron raised his hand.

"Um, yes Ron?" Remus called on him.

"Are we invited to the wedding?" he asked with a grin.

"Of course," Sirius fielded that question. "Of course, we haven't exactly gotten around to choosing a date yet since I only got a 'yes' about…" he glanced at the clock, "twenty minutes ago. Fifteen years late, I may point out."

Remus stuck out his tongue and Sirius cheekily leaned over to kiss him on the nose, drawing a broad smile from Hermione.

"So, Harry?" Sirius turned to him, looking worried. "This concerns you, primarily. Tell us what you're thinking."

Harry was startled out of a private reverie by the question. "I think it's great!" he assured them both hastily. "I'm just, you know, surprised." He grinned. "I'm thinking back to figure out how I managed to miss this," he gestured to the other two occupants of the couch.

"Remus is _awfully_ discrete," Sirius teased, earning him a light kick from his fiancé. "Okay! Now that we're sure everyone's happy, let's celebrate!"

"But not too much celebrating," Remus cautioned, "as three of the celebrants are decidedly under drinking age."

Sirius pouted. "You're no fun at all. They have to learn sometime, don't they?"

Remus smiled. "I suppose so. I can always recount _your_ school day adventures in learning to drink," he threatened.

"Okay, okay," Sirius hastened. "No drinking, it's the middle of the afternoon anyway."

"Actually," Hermione interrupted the good cheer regretfully, "we have to get back to school soon, I'm afraid."

Sirius looked disappointed, but a subtle look from Remus seemed to brighten his spirits almost immediately. "Well, all right," he relented. "But come tomorrow, for tea?"

The threesome agreed happily and, with many winks and congratulations, managed to get out the door.

Remus grinned predatorily at Sirius. "I believe you had a proposition for me earlier?" With that he tackled Sirius and sent them both tumbling back onto the recently abandoned couch. Tongues dueled, teeth bit, and hands worked insistently at clothing. Remus groaned as Sirius sensually arched up against his body, aching with need. He twined his fingers into the strands of dark hair as he lazily rolled his hips against the man below him.

"Eep! Sorry!"

The interrupted couple immediately froze and turned their gazes toward the doorway, where a blushing Hermione was standing awkwardly.

"Sorry, just forgot the books, er, yes, well, do go on, I'll be leaving now, erm, bye!" She grabbed the books off the floor and flew out the door, calling ahead of her, "Go on guys, got them, let's go!"

Remus and Sirius looked back at each other.

"Guess we'll have to be more careful, huh?" Sirius grinned.

"Oh, you…" Sirius swallowed his protests with a kiss.

"Remus," Sirius panted when he relented in his assault. "I love you."

Remus smiled as he started to unbutton Sirius' robe. "I love you too, Sirius, so much, forever."

"Forever," Sirius echoed. "That sounds nice."


End file.
